Birth of the Forest

Birth of the Forest 14.

The sun was setting, causing its light to wash balefully over the landscape, casting the two men standing on the top of the gorge into sharp relief. Pain stood with Itachi, the two of them taking in the devastation of the land. No part of the once beautiful gorge was left unscathed, not the land, not the rocks...not even the water. The water was also churning agitatedly, testifying to the ferocity of the battle that was fought there.

"It appears that Kakuzu fought with all the elements, but used Katon and Fuuton primarily. It appears Naruto-kun answered twice with Mokuton, but used mostly Suiton later. I can see the remnants of the chakras used, they are still strong in the air. Ironic...Naruto-kun defeated Kakuzu using only the elements. Too bad Kakuzu is dead..." Itachi looked over the land with his Sharingan, trying to reconstruct the battle that was fought there. Uchiha Itachi was not called the prodigy of prodigies just for his supreme skill in battle. His mastery of the Sharingan was absolute, some said it even approached that of Madara.

Pain strode over to Kakuzu's corpse, and his Rinnegan started shining. He clasped his hands in the Ram Seal, and turned to Itachi.

"He is dead, but will not remain dead for long. I still have need of him." Itachi's eyes widened at this statement. Did Pain actually mean what he think he meant? He stared with rising fascination as the leader of Akatsuki intoned:

"Gedo: Rinne Tensei no Jutsu!"

A statue of the King of Hell rose out of the ground ominously, and swallowed up Kakuzu. Itachi was unable to believe his eyes...just how far did the power of the Rinnegan reach? To play so callously with Life and Death...he was forced to admit it. Pain was every bit as formidable as Hashirama believed him to be. He watched as Kakuzu stepped out of the statue, fully revived and staring incredulously and fearfully at Pain. Itachi found himself feeling much the same, only he did not show it. He had thought that he could beat Pain in a fight now that his Mangekyo was eternal. But now he wondered how strong the leader really was.

"I did not resurrect you for nothing, Kakuzu" said Pain impassively, paying no attention to the reactions of his companions. Or in Itachi's case, an absolute lack of reaction. "What did you learn in your battle with Uzumaki Naruto? I can see the chakras that were used in this place."

Kakuzu schooled his stunned expression back into one of indifference, but his awe did not escape Itachi's trained eyes. Itachi noted that Kakuzu did not have five hearts this time, but only his own.

"You pulled me from death...how is that even possible? And why don't I have all my hearts?" Kakuzu asked. Pain's eyes narrowed slightly, but he answered.

"That is not your concern, Kakuzu. Just know that I am outside life and death. Now answer me, unless you want me to send you back..." he said in a smoldering voice. Kakuzu looked extremely taken aback at this threat; he knew Pain could carry out that threat easily.

"Fine. You want to hear how a boy barely in his teens destroyed me, I who have fought against even the Shodai Hokage and lived? You had better be careful, Pain. I know nothing of how strong you truly are...but I can say the same about Uzumaki Naruto. I could not make him fight at full strength. All I know is this- Only you...and possibly Itachi can beat him. He can grind all the other Akatsuki to dust easily, we would have to be together to fight him and live. Let me tell you how the battle went..."

Kakuzu stared with apprehension as he saw the multitude of trees descending upon him, burning ominously with the fire he himself had thrown. He observed that Naruto's skill with Mokuton was noteworthy...not quite at Hashirama's level but headed there rapidly.

He noted that the trees that rushed towards him seemed somewhat...more potent than Hashirama's own trees. His Jiongu lashed out in all directions seeking to cut through the mass of burning trees descending on him, succeeding partially. Once again, it was his Jiongu against Mokuton...and once again he was being overwhelmed.